The Mission Bay Alliance has pledged a willingness to file lawsuit after lawsuit in its attempt to keep the Warriors from building a new arena at their planned site in San Francisco.
And as the legal hurdles keep coming, the Warriors keep clearing them.
They crossed another Tuesday, when a California Appeals Court, in upholding a previous ruling that declared the Environmental Impact Report met all required standards, told the MBA that its complaint is meritless.
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE This turn of events gives the Warriors, in basketball parlance, a seven-point lead with 11 seconds to play. And they have possession.
The Warriors rejoiced, saying they plan to break ground at Chase Center, on Mission Bay, in the next several months. But the MBA – a coalition of deep-pocketed UCSF stakeholders, donors and staffers – has shown no sign of surrender.
The MBA is alleging that the proposed site, steps away from the UCSF Medical Center, presents a litany of issues that would adversely affect hospital access. It has enlisted the support of parents, such as Jennifer Wade, whose children receive periodic treatment as well as a second group (SaveMuni) that serves as a watchdog for the local public transportation system.
None has been able to manage a legal victory.
Golden State Warriors
Find the latest Golden State Warriors news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
“The Mission Bay Alliance, Jennifer Wade, and SaveMuni are deeply disappointed with today’s court ruling,” the MBA said Tuesday in a statement. “Our legal team is reviewing the ruling and considering options. We believe that the proposed Warriors’ arena is incompatible with the Mission Bay South neighborhood and would result in blocked access to UCSF hospitals, dangerous air pollution, and traffic gridlock throughout the community.”
The ruling comes in the wake of a Nov. 16 hearing during which the MBA’s legal team argued that the City of San Francisco illegally defied environmental and zoning laws in its haste to approve the arena.
The MBA can, and likely will, once again appeal to the California Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, the Warriors are moving ahead with their goal of vacating Oracle Arena after the 2018-19 season and moving into Chase Center in 2019.
“This decision clears the path for us to build a new state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue and bring the Warriors back home to San Francisco,” team COO Rick Welts said in a statement. “We look forward to breaking ground soon.”